I went to this real cheap o summer camp once where the counselors played a vinyl copy of the song "Convoy" constantly. Granted, it's a cool song but I was pretty tired of it after a while. Nowadays, things are less glamorous for the trucking industry. This is largely due to the increase in fuel prices. eventually it got to be too much and recently the truckers have called for s strike and it appears to be picking up steam nationwide. While there is more worldwide demand for fossial fuels, the sinking dollar has added quite a bit of fuel to the fire if you will. as has specualtion regarding wars in the middle east. 85 or 90 dollars a barrel would be the more natural level without these issues, maybeless. it was 26.67 when Bush took office.Local truckers join strike
By Stephanie Nelson
For Cindy and Ric Riley, a trucker strike makes perfect sense.
Rumors of a nationwide trucker strike have flooded the news in recent days. Truckers, like many Americans, are fed up with high fuel costs.
Many truckers are spreading word of a strike through Internet blogs and over their CB radios, encouraging everyone to put their trucks in park in order to send the message to U.S. oil companies and the federal government.
The Andalusia couple, who have been in the trucking business for 16 collective years, said the rising fuel costs have hit home where it hurts the most - in their wallets.
"We came home Monday night at around 11 p.m. and have been shut down since, with no plans to return to work until next week," said Cindy Riley. "Although we do not own our own truck, fuel costs do impact our earnings as well as the other costs of life on the road, from meals to motels; everything has gone up in price."
The reason, Riley said, is a domino effect.
"It all goes back to transportation costs," she said. "The trucking industry has been fighting rising fuel costs for years, but the recent skyrocketing of diesel fuel is forcing many independent operators and small fleets out of business.
"Everyone sees so many trucks from the major carriers like Swift and J. B. Hunt, that they don't realize that independent truckers and small carriers (which are companies owning less that 50 trucks) make up over 80 percent of the industry."
Riley said as company drivers, they spend a lot more time waiting to transport a shipment now that those fuel costs are higher.
"The way that it works is if the shipper can't or won't increase their rate of pay to compensate for fuel, then the company can't afford to haul the load, so we have to sit and wait for the better-paying offer even though when we are waiting for a load we are not getting paid," she said. "Thus our weekly average has dropped from 5,800 miles to around 4,400 miles."
Riley said the truck averages 5.2 to 6.8 miles-per-gallon, depending on the load.
"And as if that's just not enough, when you come home and find the price of milk and bread has doubled, or discover that the automobile tires you bought last year for $100 each, now cost $137, what are we supposed to do?" she asked.
Diesel this week was at an average just shy of $4 a gallon according to the American Trucking Association. If a trucker is filling up a 300-gallon semi, that bill could top $1,200.
Riley said steps must be implemented to help all consumers fight the rising costs of gas.
"We are all, as consumers, making changes in our lifestyles and purchasing habits and it all goes back to fuel costs," she said.
"You certainly don't buy frivolous items like stereos, computers and jewelry," she said. "Let's hope the shutdown does get the attention of the politicians who keep giving tax breaks to oil companies while they turn around and rob the consumers blind, before we start to see some of our local family-owned businesses start closing the doors.
"Senator Obama's favorite word right now is 'change,'" she said. "Hey Senator, How about some change back from that $100 bill when I fill the tank on my pick up?"."
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